Fatherhood in motion. Stories and experiences of a first time dad, twice, all while trying to get to the finish line.

A conversation with twin toddlers

Raising twins is alternatively double the pain and double the joy. When things are fun, they get really fun. In the early days especially, the lack of sleep and crankiness somehow multiplies beyond twice the difficulty. So now that my twins are over two and a half, they’ve become a bit more fun.

The best part is, they haven’t really figured out lying yet, or even stretching the truth. So every conversation is hilariously straightforward. Take our recent bedtime interaction for example.

After getting changed and our tradition of reading two books, they look for any way t extend bedtime further. So usually when we put them in bed, we can expect at least a token resistance from them. Tonight putting them to bed went something like this.

Both boys in one crib together after begging to go together, I leave the room.

Twin B: Crying loud enough to be heard outside the room

Me: Entering room, “what’s wrong? Why aren’t we sleeping?”

Twin B: Sobbing, “Not nice. Not nice.”

Me: “Twin A, did you do something not nice?”

Twin A: Smiling impishly, “Yeah!”

Me: “Did you bite him?”

Twin A: “Yeah!”

Me: “Teeth are not for biting. That’s not nice to do to people”

Twin B: “Other bed! Other bed!”

Me: While moving B to his own bed and asking him quietly, “Did you stick your fingers in his mouth?”

Twin B: “Yes”

Me: “You know better than that. A, you need to say you’re sorry. You have to be friends before you go to sleep.”

Twin B: “Friends!”

Twin A: “I’m sorry. I’m hungry.”

Me: Exists room before laughing out loud.

End Scene

How are you supposed to discipline them when they crack you up? I guess I should just be happy they were honest with me the whole time.